


The Real Thing

by mystiri1



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Fluff, Humor, M/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-09-24
Updated: 2010-09-24
Packaged: 2017-10-12 04:26:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/120749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mystiri1/pseuds/mystiri1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Not everybody sees what's really there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Real Thing

“Excuse me, sir, but Reeve Tuesti is here for your eleven o'clock meeting.”

“Send him in.” The voice on the other end of the intercom sounded a little distracted, although it was still unmistakeably Rufus. Reeve was a few minutes early, and Rufus had a lot of new projects under way, some of which Reeve even knew about. The somewhat hectic nature of the younger man's current schedule was why they were meeting at NeoShinRa Inc.'s company headquarters for once, and not the WRO or a more neutral location.

The PA gave him a brilliant smile. “He'll see you now, Mr Tuesti.” She stood from behind her desk, and led the way to the door. She was stunningly attractive and smartly dressed in a short pencil skirt and a close-cut jacket that gave the impression of nothing underneath, the very picture of a woman who had won her position on looks alone. Reeve only noticed that she was armed because he was used to looking to such things: she was Turk-trained, and trained well.

He was sure most other people also wouldn't have noticed that she brushed a thumb against a discreet panel set underneath the door handle before tugging it open. A biometric lock, Reeve guessed, and gave a small nod of approval. Despite the changed world, too many people still hated the Shinra name and wouldn't hesitate to kill the only man alive who still bore it. Rufus was big on grand gestures, showing the world he wasn't afraid of anything, but the Turks were rather more practical and not keen on having their employer assassinated any time soon.

Rufus didn't look up from the papers he was reading when Reeve entered, and the Director of the WRO took a moment to study him. Despite the fact that he'd been working long hours for the past several weeks, Rufus looked to be in perfect health. Even just sitting behind his desk, he still radiated the sense of leashed power and purpose that made him such a charismatic personality.

What most people wouldn't have realised was that Rufus was _happy_. He didn't show it in any of the ways other people would notice – Rufus had firm ideas about what kind of image a businessman should project – but Reeve had known him since he was a teenager. He had seen Rufus struggle under his father's expectations, then rebel against them; had seen his ascension to the Presidency of ShinRa Electric Power Company, and the devastating fall that came after. Starting again from almost nothing, building his own company from the ground up: these things should have been stressful and exhausting, but Rufus was thriving on the challenge of it.

It was ironic that his father's abrupt death had come so close to destroying him, Reeve thought. Rufus had hated the man, and been certain that he could do a far better job of running the company – and the world – than the former President. But when he inherited ShinRa, it was to discover his father's empire was a house of cards: too much time and money had been wasted on foolish whims and indulgences, poured down the endless hole that was the Science Department budget or frittered away on women. By the time Rufus gained control, it was already too late to fix things without admitting to far greater weakness than was safe. And with ShinRa the de facto world government, the potential fallout was massive. The Meteor Crisis had proven unexpectedly beneficial, holding things together long enough to give people a different focus. When it was over, the company in ruins, the world at large had already turned their attention to the practicalities of survival rather than avenging old wrongs.

As it was, Rufus's eventual reappearance had raised some public outcry. Reeve wondered how many of them would believe that any money left from his father's legacy had gone not to Rufus's new company, but to the WRO. Rufus had built NeoShinRa entirely from his mother's inheritance. The fund was far smaller, but it had been held from Adolphus Shinra's grasp by a team of wily lawyers until Rufus reached his majority.

Rufus looked up. “Good morning, Reeve,” he said in greeting. Then something that might have been a smirk teased his lips. “I'm flattered to see I warrant a visit from the real thing and not one of your extremely convincing robots.”

Reeve winced. It was too much to hope that Rufus – and therefore the Turks – wouldn't hear about that. It was a given that sooner or later one of his remote units would be attacked and revealed for what it was, but that same likelihood of attack was why they existed.

Reeve wasn't like Rufus and his Turks, or the former members of AVALANCHE: he had little real skill in battle and no desire to place himself in completely avoidable personal danger. Unfortunately, heading the WRO made him a target. So he'd built the remote units partly as a security measure, and partly because he needed something to take his mind off business and politics at the end of the day. That was the reason he'd originally built Cait Sith, after all. And the very... uniqueness of Cait's appearance meant that most people never considered what else he could build with the same technology.

Rufus seemed amused. He didn't mention anything about the assassination attempt; they both accepted that as a consequence of being such public figures. But Reeve knew that Tseng would make discreet enquiries into what had happened, and Rufus would soon know as much as he did. In a few days, he could expect a list of recommendations regarding security to turn up in his mail, courtesy of the Head Turk. Reeve would implement some of them, and ignore others in favour of doing his own thing. Although he and Rufus were far from being enemies, he thought it wise to keep some separation between them when it came to security measures. Besides, he liked the fact that there were some surprises even the Turks didn't know about. He wasn't foolish enough to think they'd never try to breach his security; _Reno_ would do it on a bet.

And Reno was the issue. The redhead had a sense of humour that was generally uncomfortable for his targets. Reeve had no doubt he would be hearing about his 'life-like' robots, along with jeering questions about whether they were anatomically correct, and ribald speculations about what else they could do. It was for this reason that Reeve wouldn't even consider offering one to Rufus. If he let Reno know that he could build a 'Rufus' unit, he'd never hear the end of the dirty jokes and taunts.

“Are you so sure I am the real thing?” he replied, pushing aside thoughts of Turks and their inappropriate senses of humour.

Rufus hummed in a considering tone. “You're right. Perhaps I should check.” He stood up and walked around the desk. Reeve swallowed. The look on Rufus's face was distinctly predatory.

“And how do you intend to do that?” he asked, barely stopping himself before he took a step backwards.

“I believe a hands-on approach would be best.” Rufus came to a stop before him, laying one hand with deliberate care along the curve of Reeve's jaw. A thumb brushed casually against the soft bristles of of his beard. “No, on second thought, I think an even closer examination might be necessary.”

Reeve's reply to this was swallowed as Rufus's mouth covered his own, tongue slipping inside with ease. And he had been intending to reply, but the sound came out more like a moan, with whatever words he'd been about to say lost. One hand became two, which slid around his waist to rub long, unhurried strokes along his back before settling somewhere lower. Reeve would have protested – this was an official meeting, and it was probably not appropriate that the President of NeoShinRa Incorporated was groping the ass of the Director of the World Regenesis Organisation – but then he remembered he was early. Technically, the meeting hadn't started yet.

“Definitely the real thing,” Rufus said, his breathing just a little ragged, and Reeve had to struggle to remember what it was they'd been talking about.

Oh. Robots. Right. “Maybe I'm just that good,” Reeve retorted, and Rufus gave a little snort of laughter. “At making robots,” he added hurriedly, feeling his face flush.

“I don't think even you could make a robot that kisses like _that_ ,” Rufus said, his face relaxing into an easy grin that few people ever saw, because it was far more honest than the kind of practiced smile reserved for the cameras. He bent to pick up the briefcase Reeve hadn't even noticed that he'd dropped, and handed it to him. “But I believe it's time for our meeting. Shall we?”

Reeve welcomed the change of subject. “Yes, of course.”

There was definitely no way he was ever going to let Reno – _or_ Rufus – know about the robot that was currently standing in the corner of his private workshop.


End file.
